The Best I could Give
Chapter 12
Roma, the hospice nurse, reported to Ranger and Stephanie that Krystal had a very comfortable night when she came into the kitchen. The Cuban man and Lester were preparing breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon that Ranger knew Stephanie loved, and toast. Stephanie gave herself the assignment of buttering the toast. Austyn was sitting in his car seat carrier on the counter watching the activity around him.
"Krystal slept soundly waking up to use the bathroom once. She refused the full dose of prescribed pain meds during the night and fell back asleep. I'm going to help her dress after her bath and we will be out for breakfast. This is good for her; she even said she was hungry."
Ranger nodded his appreciation catching Stephanie's eyes.
"Thank you for your help," she told the nurse squeezing her hand before she walked out of the kitchen.
Roma turned around saying, "She's very blessed to have people to care for her like you. The love you have shown to her and in particular, her son, are making the passing of this life into the next easier. She knows in her heart, her baby will be cared for and have a home."
"I don't know how you do your job." Stephanie stopped buttering toast to hug Roma. "Thank you for being here. You're a Godsend."
"It's not an easy job, but knowing I can make a passing easier for a family and the patient that's why I do it. In all the time working as a hospice nurse, I can say I never met anyone who went out of their way as you have." Her focus shifted to Ranger including him in her compliment. "You're very special people, Angels I would say." She left the breakfast preparations to tend to the sick woman.
He had small nagging doubts about bringing Krystal to Point Pleasant, but after hearing the nurse's report, Ranger was amazed. Stephanie's intuition was right on even if she didn't fully know the effects of her plan on Austyn's mother. She wanted to show her the ocean and to share it with her son, but in doing so strengthened the young woman's dying body and soul. "Proud of you, Babe," he said stirring the eggs. He knew that without a doubt his heavy, dark spirit was much lighter from the experience.
"Oh these eggs are good," Krystal said as she took her time eating the scrambled eggs. Ranger used a trick from his mother. He poured evaporated milk into the whipped eggs so they cooked fluffy.
"I like having a Bad Ass in the kitchen," Stephanie teased as she ate her breakfast.
That damn sexy eyebrow arched. "Babe, I'll show you what else I can do in the kitchen." Ranger teased back.
The table laughed at Austyn, his little feet are always kicking and moving even when Stephanie gave him a bottle of formula. There were many moments of sadness, but the infant made everyone forget for a short time why he or she were all here in Point Pleasant.
Bobby and Lester were busy before breakfast. Since the house was handicapped accessible, they found in the storage area a canopy to be set up outside and thick rubber padding rolled up. When they unrolled it, it was long enough to go from the walkway making a path to the ocean's edge through the canopy. Krystal could not only watch the water but also touch it now. They set a few lounge chairs under the shady top for comfort out of the hot sun.
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When Stephanie stepped out on the deck with Ranger and Austyn after breakfast, she saw the track leading through the canopy to the water.
"The guys did that," Ranger let her know.
Stephanie looked up with questioning eyes and he answered the unspoken question, "Austyn and Krystal coming into our lives has affected us ex-Army men, Babe, but more than that is the true compassion in your heart." Ranger held her in his arms with Austyn letting her shed some tears.
She pulled away when his two friends came out and he held her soon-to-be adopted son while Stephanie ran to Bobby and Lester hugging them. "Thank you," she whispered to each.
Drying her tears quickly, she saw Krys coming being pushed by Roma. She had on a flowered beach dress that covered below her bony knees sitting in the wheelchair.
"Look, Krystal, what the guys did!" Stephanie was happy the young woman could feel the ocean not see it from the house.
"I can feel the water! Thank you!" Her big eyes had tears and excitement alive in them.
Bobby took over steering the wheelchair from the nurse. Roma went back into the house for the strong sun block. It took a few tugs and hard pushes when the padding sunk a little in the sand under the weight, but Krystal made it to the ocean. She let out a laugh when a wave broke against the wheelchair and dipping her feet in the warm water. "It's how I remember it!"
Ranger held Austyn watching Stephanie slip off the long tie-dyed T-shirt she was wearing revealing a one-piece blue bathing suit with silver grommets down the front and at the side of her hips. He was sucking in the salty air. The laces in the front were loosened a little giving Ranger a peek at the curve of her breasts.
"Ready to try the water, Bubby," the new mother-to-be asked the wide-eyed baby taking him from the man she loved with everything Stephanie was.
Austyn's skin was glistening from the baby sun block Stephanie had put on him, his reddish brown head covered with the small ball cap Ranger picked out at the baby store, and he was wearing a T-shirt with a sailboat over his blue shorts protecting his pale skin.
With the Cuban Bad Ass bare chested and wearing his aviator shades, he was right beside Stephanie walking out in the gentle waves. Stopping with the water part way up her calf, she asked "Ready?"
The baby was watching all the blue water around him from the protection of his other mother's arms. Austyn let out a laughing shriek "Eeh!" when his baby toes went in the water. His feet were kicking in it having a blast like in his bathtub.
Clapping her hands, Krystal called out to her son, "Are you having fun, Bubby?"
He laughed kicking his feet even more. Coming in from the water, Stephanie sat down in the sand next to Krystal's wheelchair with Austyn between her legs. The waves were breaking low in the sand so as the dying mother wiggled her toes in the water she could do it with the son she gave life.
Ranger watched from his spot in the ocean, Stephanie had an arm around the baby. He was doing baby giggles and kicking his always-moving feet as the small wave came up to splash him and ebb back to the ocean to do it again. Stephanie and Krystal were laughing at the fun Austyn was having. The young woman seemed to forget she was ill during those moments; she was living them.
Stephanie turned around hearing a car door. Standing by the bottom of the deck were her mother, father, and Grandma Mazur. Her grandmother could not be missed in a big floppy green and yellow straw hat.
Coming in from the water seeing Stephanie's family arrival, he held the wet baby so Stephanie could greet her family. Frank Plum called Ranger without Stephanie knowing inquiring how things were going in Point Pleasant after they arrived. He asked if his daughter needed his fatherly support and Ranger was positive having her family here for a time would ease the sorrow she felt.
"Mom! Daddy! Grandma! What are you doing here?" Stephanie called out running to meet them walking down the rubber path.
Swinging a burly Italian arm around his amazing younger daughter, he whispered, "Giving you our support."
She looked at her mother and grandmother; they nodded in agreement.
"Krys, I want you to meet my parents and grandmother. These are my parents Frank and Ellen and Grandma Mazur," she introduced.
"Hello, Krystal," Stephanie's father said shaking her frail hand gingerly. "Welcome to our family. You and your son are part of it now."
Her large eyes widened at the statement. "It's so nice to meet you." She was wiping tears because it had been so long to be part of a family if only for a short time.
Drying off a wet Austyn as best as Stephanie could with him squirming, her father was claiming him from Ranger.
"There's my new grandson," Frank said taking the baby from Stephanie in one arm and his hand pulled something from the baggy khaki shorts he was wearing. "Look what Grandpa brought you." He held in front of Austyn a hard plastic ball with nubs on it.
He grabbed for the green ball giggling and put it to his mouth. Ellen tugged on his shirt. "Is that good?"
Krystal watched the interaction. This was exactly what she hoped for her son. He would have a family to love him. She did give him the best she could give.